Kharmas 2026: Start and End Dates, Rules, and What to Avoid | Naksham
5 min read
Kharmas: The Solar Month When Weddings Wait 2026
Kharmas, also called Khar Maas, is the solar month when the Sun moves through Dhanu (Sagittarius). It begins at Dhanu Sankranti, the Sun's entry into Dhanu, and ends at Makar Sankranti, its entry into Makara (Capricorn). This time it runs Wednesday, 16 December 2026 – Friday, 15 January 2027.
During these weeks, many families pause weddings, griha pravesh (first entry into a new home), mundan, and other new rites. The dates above are the actual sign crossings computed by Naksham's engine in Indian time. Plan any big ceremony with the muhurat finder, which shows when auspicious timing returns.
A second Kharmas comes in spring, when the Sun crosses Meena (Pisces). This guide covers the winter one.
Why Kharmas Happens
A solar month is the Sun's stay in one sign of the zodiac. The Surya Siddhanta calls the Sun's entry into a sign a sankranti, and counts the twelve months from these entries. It also marks the entry into Capricorn as the start of Uttarayana, the Sun's six-month northern course.[1]
Dhanu and Meena are both ruled by Guru (Jupiter). The Agni Purana advises against holding a wedding while the Sun stands in a sign ruled by Guru.[2] This is the classical root of Kharmas. When the Sun leaves Dhanu at Makar Sankranti, the restriction lifts.
A folk story explains the name. Khar means donkey. The tale says the Sun's tired horses rest for a month while donkeys pull his chariot, so his pace and glow feel slower. It is a village story, not a calculation, but it captures the mood of a month kept for patience.
Most families hold these back until after Makar Sankranti:
Weddings, and in many homes engagements and roka ceremonies.
Griha pravesh, laying the foundation of a house, and moving into a newly built home.
Mundan (first haircut), upanayana (sacred thread ceremony), and similar life rites.
Starting a new business or opening a new shop with ceremony.
Opinions differ on buying property, vehicles, or gold during Kharmas. Some families avoid any large purchase, while others only avoid the formal puja and ceremony. Follow your family custom, and ask your priest when unsure.
Kharmas does not make ordinary days bad. Work, study, travel, and routine family life continue as usual.
What to Do During Kharmas: A Simple Daily Practice
Kharmas is a month for devotion, charity, and inner work. These steps suit most homes:
Wake early and bathe before sunrise if you can.
Offer arghya (water offering) to the rising Sun from a copper vessel, adding a red flower and a pinch of roli.
Chant Om Ghrinih Suryaya Namah 108 times, or recite the Aditya Hridayam.
Keep a japa practice for the month with the Devotion Japa Set, using your family mantra.
Give warm clothes, blankets, jaggery, or sesame to people in need.
Read the Bhagavad Gita or a scripture your family loves, a few verses each day.
Use the quiet weeks to plan. Shortlist wedding and griha pravesh dates for after Makar Sankranti.
Many devotees also visit pilgrimage towns and holy rivers in this month. Cold mornings and simple food give the practice its own discipline.
Jyotish Significance
Surya (Sun) is the graha of the soul, authority, and vitality. Guru (Jupiter) is the graha of wisdom, marriage blessings, and children. When the Sun passes through Guru's sign, the two energies sit together, and the tradition reads this as a time to honour Guru rather than ask him for new beginnings.
Kharmas is not the only check before a wedding. Classical rules also ask whether Guru and Shukra (Venus) are visible, since the Agni Purana warns against weddings while either is set (hidden in the Sun's glare).[2] A date just after Makar Sankranti still needs a full muhurat check.
If a wedding or house entry is coming up, use the muhurat finder for dates after Kharmas. To understand how Guru sits in your own chart, read the Guru (Jupiter) guide.
Frequently Asked Questions
When does Kharmas start and end in 2026?+
Wednesday, 16 December 2026 – Friday, 15 January 2027. Computed for Delhi, and any city timing table on this page gives local times for each city.
Can we hold an engagement during Kharmas?
Many families wait. Some hold small, private family talks and keep the formal ceremony for after Makar Sankranti. Follow your family custom.
Is Kharmas the same as Malmas or Adhik Maas?
No. Adhik Maas is an extra lunar month added to keep the calendar in step. Kharmas is a solar month, set by the Sun's stay in Dhanu. Some people use Malmas loosely for both, but they are different.
When do wedding muhurats return after Kharmas?
They return after Makar Sankranti, once the Sun enters Makara. Each date still needs a full muhurat check.
Can I do daily puja and fasts during Kharmas?
Yes. Daily worship, fasts, japa, and charity are encouraged in this month. Only new beginnings with ceremony are held back.
Sources
[1] Surya Siddhanta, Chapter 14 (On the Different Modes of Reckoning Time), verses 8–10. Translated by Ebenezer Burgess, 1860.
[2] Agni Purana, Chapter 121 (On Marriage Timing). Translated by M. N. Dutt, 1903.
